U.S. Senator Susan Collins was honored with the 2019 Excellence in Public Service Award from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Tuesday (6/25/2019). Past recipients of this award include Vice President Joe Biden in 2018 and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis in 2017.
“The word ‘hero’ is somewhat overused these days. In the case of John Glenn, however, it is fitting,” said Collins. “Any one page from his remarkable biography would be more than enough to inspire us — a decorated fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, a courageous test pilot pushing the boundaries of flight and human endurance, and an outstanding member of the United States Senate dedicated to our nation’s well-being. John Glenn inspired us to look to the stars, to dream big dreams, to imagine the great things we could accomplish as one nation united by purpose, determination, and courage. It is in that spirit that I gratefully accept this award and thank the John Glenn College of Public Affairs for advancing those noble principles.”
Senator Rob Portman introduced Senator Collins at the award reception and said, “Bipartisanship, civility, and quiet diligence. Those are the traits that make a true public servant, and those are the traits I see every day in Susan’s actions. The way in which Susan has served Maine and the United States is a model to which we should all aspire. I’m proud to have her as a colleague. She is truly an exceptional public servant, and I can think of no one more deserving of this award.”
“In the public service tradition of Senator John Glenn, we are proud to honor Senator Susan Collins with this year’s Excellence in Public Service Award. She is a model of elected service and bipartisanship,” said Trevor Brown, dean of the Glenn College.
For more than 30 years, the Excellence in Public Service Award has been presented each summer during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., and honors individuals who have a distinguished history of public service that led to more effective public administration. Drawing on the vision and achievements of Senator John Glenn, honorees reflect the ideals of their mission and inspire others to serve. The late Senator John Glenn was a decorated U.S. Marine aviator, a legendary NASA astronaut, and a tireless public servant.
Before the event, Collins met with students from the Glenn College's Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP).
Past Recipients
- 2018 Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States of America, Video
- 2017 James Mattis, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Video
- 2016 Tom Wheeler, Chairman; Federal Communications Commission, Video
- 2015 Pat Tiberi, Member, U.S. House of Representatives
- 2014 Richard Cordray , Director; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Video
- 2013 Erskin Bowles and Alan Simpson, Co-Chairs; National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, Video
- 2012 Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Video
- 2011 John Boehner, Speaker; U.S House of Representatives, Video
- 2010 Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools, Video
- 2009 Tom Carper, Member; U.S. Senate
- 2008 Rob Portman, Member; U.S. Senate
- 2007 Sherrod Brown, Member; U.S. Senate
- 2006 Leonard L. Haynes, III, Director; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
- 2005 Thomas E. Mann, W. Averell Harriman Chair; The Brookings Institution
- 2002 George V. Voinovich, Member, U.S. Senate
- 2001 Dan L. Crippen, Director, U.S. Congressional Budget Office
- 1998 Mike Dewine , Member, U.S. Senate
- 1997 Thomas D. Lambros, Former Chief Justice; U.S District Court, Northern of Ohio
- 1996 Donna Shalala, Secretary; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- 1995 John R. Kasich , Member; U.S. House of Representatives
- 1994 John Glenn, Member; U.S. Senate
- 1992 Howard Metzenbaum, Member; U.S. Senate
- 1991 Constance Berry Newman, Director; U.S. Office of Personnel Management
- 1990 Charles A. Bowsher, Comptroller General of the United States
- 1989 Robert D. Reischauer, Director; U.S. Congressional Budget Office
- 1988 L. Bruce Laingen, Executive Director; National Commission on the Public Service